Public Understands How Cuts Have Hurt Policing

THE public can see the effect cuts and austerity are having on police forces, South Yorkshire Police Federation believes.

A recent YouGov report has revealed that crime is now the public’s primary concern, overtaking health and the state of the NHS for the first time.

It is evidence that the public recognises the pressure the service is under, says South Yorkshire Police Federation Chairman Steve Kent.

And he is pleased that communities are speaking out about the issue.

Steve said: “I think the public is becoming more vocal in challenging the status quo and I think they’re starting to get a little bit fed up that police resources are stretched.

“It’s having a knock-on effect in that it’s taking longer for them to get through to the police and it’s taking longer for the police to turn out.

“As a Federation, we need to keep that awareness there because we can now see that the public is getting fed up of the effects of the cuts.”

Steve hopes this increased awareness might lead to more Government action on funding policing properly – nearly a decade of cuts has led to a reduction of 21,000 officers in England and Wales.

“Traditionally, the NHS has always had public sympathy and public support for it to be properly funded,” Steve said.

“It’s not always been the case with policing, but the effects of austerity on the police and the cuts are affecting their [the public’s] normal lives.

“There’s high profile knife crime all over the media and it’s starting to hit home to people that we’re not the same service, with the same capabilities that we used to be.”